"South Carolina Gospel", Gospel Friend CD, PN-1506:
"This is a CD of black quartet gospel (13 songs) by the Original Golden Stars of Greenwood, S.C., and solo singing with a choral group (13 songs), by the exciting lead voice of Reverend Norris Turner. Here is more than 76 minutes of soulful, vibrating gospel singing from the black southern church, recorded between 1958 and 1979.
The music was originally released on local South Carolina record labels like Pitch and HSE and was then exclusively distributed in the black community. It is now reissued, for the first time, for the benefit of gospel lovers all around the world. This has been possible after the producer's visit to South Carolina in 2005 and after almost five years of research, to which some of the leading authorities of the genre have helpfully contributed."
Bob Marovich, gospel DJ, author and editor at www.theblackgospelblog.com:
"The Golden Stars' high, tight harmonies, propelled by insistent electric guitar work ... are excellent examples of how gospel quartet's influence on pop music boomeranged in the late 50s and early 1960s to bestow its parent with the street-corner rawness of rock and soul ... What the 1970s tracks demonstrate, more than anything, ist that [Norris] Turner's voice remained amazingly vibrant after more than three decades on the gospel highway ... Notini's liner notes are fascinating and informative, assisted greatly by personal reminiscenses he collected while visiting [Reverend Norris] Turner and other members of the Original Golden Stars, such as Alphonso Devlin and Rev. George Devlin... Five of Five Stars.
Chris Smith, Blues & Rhythm reviews editor:
“...this is a splendid release ... the sort of record we used to buy long ago: outstanding music by artists one was unfamiliar with, accompanied by thoroughly researched, authoritative notes ... Everything on this release is very much worth hearing ... “.
